66 Plymouth Valiant help!

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TheWizard

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Hi! I'm brand new here. I pretty much joined because I'm in dire need of some help here.

I have a 1966 Plymouth Valiant Signet. Since it's Canadian, that makes it a 66 Dodge Dart for you folks south of the 49th.

So here's the thing. I'm running a single bowl master with four wheel 9" drums.

I don't want to die.

So I was thinking of installing a dual bowl master, proportioning valve and throwing a set of discs on. However, I have the aggravating 5 on 4 bolt pattern wimpy 7 1/4" rear end.

Changing the front is possible, but then I end up with two different sizes of rims for front and back and then the rear passenger tire has a slow leak so I may as well just change the rear to make everything match!

So I went looking for a new rear end. Up north here outside of Vancouver it's a bit hard to find a 8 1/4" rear end, so I looked for a 8 3/4". I found a 741 highway gear set out of a 74 Charger B-Body($400). Yay or nay?

Next, if it even does fit, I need new rims that can handle what I'm sure will be absurd offset. I really want Smoothies for this ride, so I'm all ears on that subject.

Alternatively, I found a 1988 Dodge Diplomat M-Body 9 1/4" rear end with what the guy calls POSI (THEY DIDN'T HAVE POSI) for $200. Again, with highway gears. Advice?

For the front end, is there any bolt on straight axle deals? Or is that a strictly cut and weld situation? I figure, if I'm going to change the front to handle the new brakes and wheels I may as well go for broke.

There's more, but I think I'll just start with this for now.
 
I believe that 74 B-body rear is way too big, better off going with the Diplomat rear but I don't think those ever came with a 9 1/4, is it a 8 1/4? If so, that 8 1/4 rear will work nice :glasses7:
 
Thanks man!

I figured the B-Body would be too big.

Looking at it, it looks like a 8 1/4 rear end. It's out of a police car with 11" drums apparently. I'm looking at dimensions and it says that 66 A-Body rear ends were 57 1/8" drum to drum. The diplomat is 60" flat drum to drum according to the Craigslist seller. That results in a width increase of 1 7/16" increase on both ends, right?

So, relocate the spring perches, and then look for a drive shaft?
 
TheWizard said:
Thanks man!

I figured the B-Body would be too big.

Looking at it, it looks like a 8 1/4 rear end. It's out of a police car with 11" drums apparently. I'm looking at dimensions and it says that 66 A-Body rear ends were 57 1/8" drum to drum. The diplomat is 60" flat drum to drum according to the Craigslist seller. That results in a width increase of 1 7/16" increase on both ends, right?

So, relocate the spring perches, and then look for a drive shaft?
Click to expand...

Not positive but it may bolt right it as is as far as the perches are concerned. Your existing driveshaft can be modified to fit at a driveline shop in your area
 
grab some SBP disks. problem solved. Find an 8 3/4 they still had SBP too.
 
if you're not doing any kind of high horsepower just a seven and a quarter. Out of another car with the big bolt pattern? Or just the axles for that matter? And any disc break a body swap of any kind should just bolt on bolt off and bolt back on. Make sure you grab the proportioning valve and possibly the brake lines and such.
 
TheWizard said:
@ Pishta - I thought about that, but I wanted to put different rims on. Like I said above, trying to find 8 3/4" rear ends are a feat in of itself up here.

I was thinking about this for the front end https://scarebird.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=64&product_id=144

Anyone familiar with Scarebird? I looked around here but I only found something for post 66 A bodies.
Click to expand...

My uncle used the Scarebird conversion on his 71 Dart and likes it very much...he likes the idea of the parts being "easy and cheap" over-the-counter stuff while still having the SBP :glasses7:
 
@ J par - I'm sorry, but I don't quite follow the first half of your post. I get the part about the A-Body disc brakes being interchangeable, but I can't quite understand the first half.

@ 66340SEDAN - Hmm. I haven't heard any bad things, so that's promising. It also seems like the rotor has the 5-4.5 bolt pattern drilled into it already as well.
 
So I found a 8 3/4 housing for $120. It's out of a 65 Belvedere. I'm guessing I could go and pick up a 489 case, axle shafts, driveshaft, bearings and brakes for 5 4.5?
 
TheWizard said:
So I found a 8 3/4 housing for $120. It's out of a 65 Belvedere. I'm guessing I could go and pick up a 489 case, axle shafts, driveshaft, bearings and brakes for 5 4.5?
Click to expand...
That rear end will not fit early A body car without having it cut down.
 
Well... I once put a 8 3/4 into my 63 Valiant from a 67 B-body... I also at the time was installing offset shackles so I had to relocate the pads anyway and set the pinion to a 5 degree down angle... With the right offset wheels, it does/will fit !!! And you do NOT need to cut or SHORTEN the axles/housing...

Clif of Az :coffee2:
 

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clifcuda65 said:
Well... I once put a 8 3/4 into my 63 Valiant from a 67 B-body... I also at the time was installing offset shackles so I had to relocate the pads anyway and set the pinion to a 5 degree down angle... With the right offset wheels, it does/will fit !!! And you do NOT need to cut or SHORTEN the axles/housing...

Clif of Az :coffee2:
Click to expand...

X2.... note the 65 b 8 3/4 is first year to get rid of the funky axle with nut on end, that's good. yes it is slightly more narrow than the 66-70 b ones. that's good. just cut off perches and move in to proper location. t hats easy enough with cut off wheel and good welder. I jus t traded for a 65 b body axle to use on my 65 cuda.
 
TheWizard said:
@ Pishta - I thought about that, but I wanted to put different rims on. Like I said above, trying to find 8 3/4" rear ends are a feat in of itself up here...
Click to expand...
wont find an 8 3/4 A rear in LBP. only 8.25 which is still a good rear.
 
the 65 b 8 3/4 works, perches need to be relocated if using stock spring location. the 65 is slightly more narrow than the 66-70 71- up TOO wide...like those other guys said..... I just traded for one to go in 65 cuda...
 
a ford 8.8 out of a explorer will work has the right of set... and disc brakes... and large bolt pattern...buy a disc brake kit for the front...one with new upper control arms...spindles...rotors ..exc... you will save money...call me at 479 216 2583 my be i can help with info
 
Thanks guys for all of the advice! I was genuinely worried about this, but it doesn't seem so bad now.

Looking at the measurement for the A body to B body swap, looks like I'll have just under an inch increase on either side. Doesn't seem bad at all.

@ Bonehead - That does sound like a good deal. I'll keep an eye out for the Ford rearend, but I want to try to keep it mostly Mopar.

Thanks again guys!
 

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Many posts about all your questions if you search. Discussed often. I think the F-150 rear would be easier than mod'ing a B-body and parts would be easy in the future. As I recall, you only need to shorten one side. There is a post w/ great photos. Many disk brake kits ($$), even entire front ends w/ coil-over and rack & pinion steering ($$$). Can also get new 17" alloy wheels for SBP (~$170 ea).
 
I'll throw my hat into the ring.
Front: either later large bolt pattern mopar disc parts, or small bolt pattern Scarebird.
Rear: SBP 7 1/4, SBP "A" 8 3/4
OR
Large bolt pattern "A" 7 1/4,
narrow "B" body (not sure of the years (1966)) relocate spring perches, and different (deeper) offset wheels.
8 inch Ford from a early mustang V-8 (6 cyl had 4 lugs), Almost a bolt in swap.
8.8 Ford narrow one side, and relocate perches.
Any common (truck) 8 3/4 and have it narrowed.

Threads about all of these options with more details
 
I need a post in this thread everyone :glasses7: Thank you for the good info. memikie likie:D
 
48 years and nobody died in it yet.
You can upgrade to a split brake system without changing anything else.
You could replace everything from the radiator cap down.
It boils down to how much money you want to spend on a 66 Valiant.
Just keep in mind... The more you change from OEM the more difficult it will be for the next owner to figure out what replacement parts they need.
 
Thanks for the chart, forgot about it!

I thought about putting a ford rearend in, but ultimately decided that I'll try to keep as much of it mopar as I feasibly can.

@ Charlie - So, by happenstance, I was around the front of my car and I saw brake rotor through the poverty rims. I bought the car on the understanding that there were 9" drums all the way around. So I have disk brakes on the front already, with the stock widowmaker pot, and I also found the proportioning valve. Can't tell what the bolt pattern is since the hub caps are on and circumstances are preventing me from doing anything to the car.
Don't know if the spindles/control arms/joints are the same, or if it was yanked off of a later A body, so this car will have to come apart at some point.

I should mention that I bought the car on the premise that the previous owner was knowledgable, and now I'm finding all sorts of things out that neither of us knew about.

As far as the rear end goes, I'll probably use a narrow B and big wheels, since I'm going the route of making this a big dumb hot rod.

@ Red Fish - That is encouraging, but with my luck, I'll need to get it changed eventually.
It's all coming out. Eventually. I may be dead by then, but I'll be halfway there.
I'm documenting all the parts that are going on to it, and then I'll compile a final list if/when I sell it. Hell, it'd be good to just have around.
 
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